5 things you need to know about 5G and its availability in Singapore

Last Updated on 2020-02-20 , 8:35 am

I know what some of you guys are thinking: “Say what? 4G is already so unstable, and they’re thinking of 5G in Singapore?”

Relax. We’ve to think far. Maybe by the time they’ve stabilized 4G, 5G is here. So let’s give the telecoms the benefit of the doubt and have a look at the 5 things we need to know about 5G.

Speed
5G network, based on lab trials so far, can go all the way to 5.8 Gbps, and a Samsung experiment has once pushed it to 7.5 Gbps. But Huawei, a China company, targets it to be 10 Gbps. That’s like downloading a whole a whole DVD within one mere second. Your current 4G phone? Well, technically, it can go the max at 1 Gbps—if you’re lucky, but you’re never lucky. If not, it’ll average at 100 mbps.
And oh, a professor also believe that 800 Gbps is possible. Say what? Of course, all this are based on theories—we’re now acutely aware that numbers don’t really represent the true speed.
So what you need to know about 5G is that it’s fast—super fast.

Companies are fighting hard to have 5G by 2018 for the World Cup and Winter Olympic Games
While having first-mover advantage, in which a company first steps into a market to gain a large market share, is attractive enough, to have your service endorsed worldwide by a major event like World Cup 2018 is even better. That is why companies are now fighting so hard to have it ready soon—if possible, during 2018, even if it’s merely a trial. Thank you, World Cup, for motivating commercial companies.

A Japanese telecom is testing 5G network now
Last year, they’re doing an indoor test. This year, it’s an outdoor test. How’re the results? Well, it’s experimental, so let’s just say we don’t know, but what we know is that Japan always has it first.

Target date for release is 2020
This is the date that most companies have set: 2020. You know, with technology moving faster than anything else, don’t be surprised if you’re connected to a 5G network by, say, 2017. And with a data plan of 2 GB with no option to revert to your old 4G plan. How cool is it to have used up your monthly data plan within one second?

Singapore targets it to be available by 2020 too, with Singtel and…
Maybe not for end-users like us, but it’ll be available for commercial use. Singtel has teamed up with Ericsson (huh? Maybe that’s why Sony and Ericsson broke up) to create a “Smart Nation” by then, in which we’re all connected by 5G.
Meanwhile, in 2015, people are still waving their phones for a 4G signal…

I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty excited for 5G in Singapore.